Modi in Space! PM can fly to space via Gaganyaan mission, says ISRO Chairman Somnath

Modi in Space! Prime Minister Narendra Modi can fly to space when India's first human mission, ‘Gaganyaan’ will become operational, said Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S Somnath while expressing pride in taking the head of state to space.

“While he (PM Modi) certainly has many other, more critical responsibilities, developing a human spaceflight program is a capability we would like to cultivate….contribute to the Gaganyaan space program, particularly the astronaut training program for the International Space Station (ISS),” he told NDTV.

As part of the Gaganyaan Mission, ISRO plans to send three astronauts to an orbit of 400 km for a 3-day mission and return them safely to Earth.

The Gaganyaan project, named after the Sanskrit word for craft or vehicle to the sky, has been developed for ₹90 billion. If successful, India will become the fourth country to send a human into space, following the Soviet Union, the US, and China.

In February, PM Modi unveiled the names of the four pilots selected for India's historic maiden manned space mission. These astronauts are — Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Subhanshu Shukla.

Modi's Amrit Kaal Vision - Moon landing by 2040

On June 26, Somnath, while addressing the India Space Congress 2024, mentioned that PM Modi's vision for Amrit Kaal includes extending human space activity beyond the Gaganyaan mission to land on the moon by 2040.

However, the current rockets are not sufficient for round trips to the moon, the ISRO Chairman said, adding that developing rockets with higher payload capacity is essential for both bringing back samples and future human missions.

"Though GSLV MKIII (LVM3) is the biggest rocket that we have, it is not big enough. It has just enough capability to go up to the moon, but it cannot even come back. We need to develop the capability to bring samples back and then send humans to the moon and bring them back," Somnath said as quoted by PTI.

Somanath emphasized the importance of considering commercial viability while developing these capabilities. He noted that space activities should contribute to a broader ecosystem rather than being limited to lunar missions.

The scientist highlighted the need to enhance India's industrial capacity to produce launchers substantially and called for more companies to enter the field to boost production capabilities.

He also informed reporters that GSAT-20 is scheduled for a mid-August launch on Falcon 9, having received clearance to be transported to the United States for the mission.